For those of us that run a fridge/freezer

[Maximus Gladius]

We picked up our first fridge/freezer, did the rear seat delete and fit in a plywood floor (almost complete). Upgraded the batteries.

The fridge unit comes with two wires. One for the 12v cigarette plug and the other for the 110v plug. My question is if the unit is plugged in to either of these when the truck is running and the unit is drawing power, once the truck is turned off, do these plugs maintain power because it senses a draw or do they shut off?

I haven’t had need to use these plugs before and I know if the truck is off, these plug outlets have no power but if there is something plugged into them when truck is on, does the power stay on?

My main battery of choice was to get the DH7 (Yellow Top, Deep Cycle/Starter) Optima 80 amp @ 155 min. For the fun of it, before I installed the batteries last night I did a test on how long the main battery would run the fridge. I had plugged the fridge in to the main house power and got the temps to -4c freezer/+5 fridge then set the compressor to eco mode and hooked the fridge to the fully charged main 12v.

It ran for 10 hours until the battery dropped to 12.4v at which time I unhooked it. The fridge was also empty so I’m assuming if it was packed full, it would maintain temps for longer and not need the compressor to run as much. (Is this theory correct?)

So, will the plugs stay hot or do I need to run leads off the battery?

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[smlobx]

I would be very hesitant to wire The 12V plug to run full time even when the engine is turned off. I would not want to find out that my battery died while camping etc.

Get a Jackery or something similar or run a dedicated 100AH LiPho battery through a BCDC controller

 

[Maximus Gladius]

I’ll also be bringing my old mopar main, just in case. ?

 

[ChrisNLA]

I recommend installing an ARB fridge wiring kit, direct to the battery:

https://www.northridge4x4.com/part/accessories/10900027-arb-fridge-wiring-kit-w-threaded-socket

And the power cord:

https://www.northridge4x4.com/part/accessories/10910076-arb-fridge-dc-power-cord

The power cord should work with any fridge on the market.

Reason I say is, the ARB cord can thread into the ARB outlet. It cannot shake loose. Also, the ARB wiring kit has very large wire for the low amp draw of the fridge, but this means minimal voltage drop / resistance back to the fridge.

I have an Iceco APL55 (58QT fridge) in the bed of my truck using this cable and cord. The fridge is in direct / partial sunlight all day and is half full currently. This week, everyday I park the truck at work and the fridge shows 12.9 volts when I walk away. By the time I leave in the evening, after 9 hours, the fridge shows 12.7 volts. I have the factory AGM battery that comes with the auxiliary switch package.

At home I plug in my shoreline to the house. I have the 120V cord for the fridge going to an outlet I installed in the bed, that goes to a shore inlet I installed in the rear bumper. Get home, plug in cord, fridge auto switches to 120V and no more draw on my truck battery. I also have the ability to add a trickle charger here if I want to later to top the truck battery back off at the same time.

 

[Maximus Gladius]

I would be very hesitant to wire The 12V plug to run full time even when the engine is turned off. I would not want to find out that my battery died while camping etc.

Get a Jackery or something similar or run a dedicated 100AH LiPho battery through a BCDC controller

I completely agree to the whole “jackery” and solar setup which I’ll have up and running for next year and divert away from the power/water provincial sites for more of that raw and secluded camping. As this year winds down for us we will be around places that have power…. Accept for the Alberta Overland Expo this September 1-3.
https://aoaexpo.com/pages/fall-expo-details
It’ll be rough camping and checking out all the venders showing off all the cool stuff we need to survive. I’m sure it’ll all work out and we’ll get a good feel as to the limits the truck alone will do and we’ll build up from there.

Looking forward to this event! ‘Just empty every pocket’ will ring true this long weekend!

 

[hey_its_briguy]

We picked up our first fridge/freezer, did the rear seat delete and fit in a plywood floor (almost complete). Upgraded the batteries.

The fridge unit comes with two wires. One for the 12v cigarette plug and the other for the 110v plug. My question is if the unit is plugged in to either of these when the truck is running and the unit is drawing power, once the truck is turned off, do these plugs maintain power because it senses a draw or do they shut off?

I haven’t had need to use these plugs before and I know if the truck is off, these plug outlets have no power but if there is something plugged into them when truck is on, does the power stay on?

My main battery of choice was to get the DH7 (Yellow Top, Deep Cycle/Starter) Optima 80 amp @ 155 min. For the fun of it, before I installed the batteries last night I did a test on how long the main battery would run the fridge. I had plugged the fridge in to the main house power and got the temps to -4c freezer/+5 fridge then set the compressor to eco mode and hooked the fridge to the fully charged main 12v.

It ran for 10 hours until the battery dropped to 12.4v at which time I unhooked it. The fridge was also empty so I’m assuming if it was packed full, it would maintain temps for longer and not need the compressor to run as much. (Is this theory correct?)

So, will the plugs stay hot or do I need to run leads off the battery?

The built in inverter shuts off as soon as you turn off the jeep and open the door. You'd need to leave the Jeep in Acc or Run (engine not running) for it to keep working. I believe it has auto low-voltage shut-off to protect the main battery.

I would be very hesitant to wire The 12V plug to run full time even when the engine is turned off. I would not want to find out that my battery died while camping etc.

Get a Jackery or something similar or run a dedicated 100AH LiPho battery through a BCDC controller

Spot on. This is how I have my setup configured: a dedicated house battery charged via Redarc BCDC. The fridge is plugged into the built-in inverter AND the 12v house battery hookup. While driving, it will use the inverter. Once parked, it switches over to the house battery.

You could get away with wiring it straight to your starter battery, provided your Fridge has low voltage protection. But as smlobx mentioned, this is dangerous as you could end up with a dead starter battery if done incorrectly.

Plus, if your fridge does have low voltage protection, it will turn off once the power gets to the set cut off point. Now your fridge is just an expensive cooler (that'll gradually warm up).

 

[ChrisNLA]

I would be very hesitant to wire The 12V plug to run full time even when the engine is turned off. I would not want to find out that my battery died while camping etc.

Get a Jackery or something similar or run a dedicated 100AH LiPho battery through a BCDC controller

Definitely not a bad idea, but every use case is different.

Three of us in my local circle have been running fridges off the main truck battery for a few years now - no issues. My fridge has the low voltage cut off set to max, so it will shut down before the truck can't start (I have never had a fridge hit low voltage cut-off). If I don't plan on leaving camp for the day, I'll idle the truck for 20 minutes and call it good.

I do carry a small Anker pack (one that is like the size of a small book) that goes in my backpack for charging my cell phone, tablet, and headlamp while my truck is off.

But - we aren't traditional overlanding. We aren't running water pumps, lots of lights, and other electrical gizmos. We are generally camping in one spot for a night and going out during the day. Most of my camping happens in Louisiana for only 5-6 months out of the year, and we do not have any vast expanse of public land to go disappear on for long. I can't even get out of cell phone range hardly.

To your point, I AM waiting on the refurbished Bluetti's to go on sale again so I can scoop one up. Me alone is no big deal, but If I bring the girlfriend and her kids, power consumption for entertainment goes up.

So - I am not hesitant in the least - but if your pocket book and space allows, more power is never bad.

 

[Maximus Gladius]

My fridge/freezer does have a voltage shutoff to protect the truck. Thanks for all the great solid advise!

 

[chorky]

I would be very hesitant to wire The 12V plug to run full time even when the engine is turned off. I would not want to find out that my battery died while camping etc.

Get a Jackery or something similar or run a dedicated 100AH LiPho battery through a BCDC controller

i second this. Or you can put in a second battery in the bed without too much expense or difficulty.

My fridge/freezer does have a voltage shutoff to protect the truck. Thanks for all the great solid advise!

those are to protect the battery from excessive drain and permanent and immediate damage. They are not there to protect the truck from a battery too low to start the engine.

 

[hey_its_briguy]

i second this. Or you can put in a second battery in the bed without too much expense or difficulty.


those are to protect the battery from excessive drain and permanent and immediate damage. They are not there to protect the truck from a battery too low to start the engine.

True. Also, -side note- starter batteries aren't the best battery type to run things like Fridges.

But you can make this work. I did this in my '16 JKUR by setting the voltage shut-off on my ARB fridge to high. It worked perfectly fine for overnight use. I should note; I swapped out my factory starter battery for an Odyessy Extreme. I also kept one of those lithium jumper starter's in my JK too, just in case. This setup worked fine for years.

Ultimately you should have a house battery (attached or portable) if you plan to run more devices, but if it's just your Fridge for a night, you can get by.

 

[legacy_etu]

Everyone has covered the questions you had so I'll just chime in by saying you you sign up for updates on Jackery's site. That way you'll get notified when they have a special. Thats' how I got mine. Love having it when camping.

 

[Maximus Gladius]

True. Also, -side note- starter batteries aren't the best battery type to run things like Fridges.

But you can make this work. I did this in my '16 JKUR by setting the voltage shut-off on my ARB fridge to high. It worked perfectly fine for overnight use. I should note; I swapped out my factory starter battery for an Odyessy Extreme. I also kept one of those lithium jumper starter's in my JK too, just in case. This setup worked fine for years.

Ultimately you should have a house battery (attached or portable) if you plan to run more devices, but if it's just your Fridge for a night, you can get by.

The Optimum main is a deep cycle/starter battery

 

[Mr._Bill]

The USB ports will stay on for a while, if a draw is detected. The 12v port and inverter are switched with the ignition and do not stay on.

I have one of the travel fridges that has two separate cords, one for 12v and one for 120v. I have one of the 'Jackery style' battery boxes and connect the fridge to the 12v port. The battery box is plugged into the 120v outlet so it charges when the engine is running. I cool the fridge in advance with the 120v cord, and then switch to the battery box when it's time to depart. This works well for me, but I just use it for travel.

 

[hey_its_briguy]

The Optimum main is a deep cycle/starter battery

Yup, that battery (and that type) will do fine, so long as you don't let the Jeep sit for extended periods with the fridge on. Either the fridge won't turn on, or your jeep won't.

I just wanted to clarify to anyone who might be thinking I'm saying that a fridge will run fine overnight off a factory starter battery.

It won't. I've tried.

 

[ChrisNLA]

Yup, that battery (and that type) will do fine, so long as you don't let the Jeep sit for extended periods with the fridge on. Either the fridge won't turn on, or your jeep won't.

I just wanted to clarify to anyone who might be thinking I'm saying that a fridge will run fine overnight off a factory starter battery.

It won't. I've tried.

I have never experienced this.

Mine will run fine all night long and to lunch the next day with no worries - on the factory provided battery. I'm sure it would last longer, but I simply haven't needed it to. With a very inefficient fridge, extra power loads (other things charging) or a tired battery due for replacement, you could run into an issue.

I think the longest I have pressed my luck is around 36 hours. That was getting tight on power (previous Jeep).

But overnight? No worries - at least not for my rig.

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